Before Sunday's game, cornerback Nick Marshall had played three snaps with the Jacksonville defense in the Jaguars' 12 games - and none in the previous nine.

But in Jacksonville's 51-16 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, Marshall was inserted into the Jaguars' nickel package, and the former Auburn quarterback was on the field for 55 of the defense's 72 plays.

"He's a guy that has changed positions from where he was in college, and we saw good progress in him," Jacksonville coach Gus Bradley said during his Monday press conference. "We felt like last week, just open (the cornerback competition) up again and take a good look at that. He showed up in practice. Some of the things that we saw when he was on service team, when he did get his reps with the ones, we really wanted to take a hard look at it. So we got him involved getting more reps with the first group last week, also in one-on-one sessions. Just felt like through the week, as we went through it, as we looked at it, we felt like he deserved that opportunity."

Marshall gave up a 57-yard completion to wide receiver T.Y. Hilton early in the game. After that, though, he allowed two receptions, getting the receivers on the turf quickly in both cases, made three tackles and broke up a pass.

"To come back and play the way that he played after that, I thought that was fantastic," Jacksonville defensive coordinator Bob Babich said. "He showed the demeanor you want out there at the cornerback position."

Marshall played cornerback at Georgia in 2011, but he played quarterback at Garden City Community College in 2012 and Auburn in 2013 and 2014. He made Jacksonville's roster as an undrafted rookie after switching back to cornerback at the Reese's Senior Bowl in Mobile.

"I think Nick is a very talented individual, and he has great instincts and great ball skills," Babich said. "The thing he lacks is just obviously playing experience at that position."

The Jaguars host the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, and Bradley said Marshall would be on the field again.

"I don't think there's anything permanent," Bradley said. "It's just that he competed really well, and he earned his opportunity for another chance."

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Bradley also said Marshall might be considered for kick-return duty again on Sunday, too.

In Jacksonville's 28-23 loss to the New York Jets on Nov. 8, Marshall returned four kickoffs for 117 yards and two punts for 20 yards. But with the Jaguars trailing 21-16, Marshall muffed a punt that the Jets recovered at the Jacksonville 25-yard line with 3:37 left in the game. New York turned the turnover into a touchdown. Marshall hasn't returned kickoffs or punts in the five games since.

The Falcons and Jaguars kick off at noon CST Sunday at EverBank Field in Jacksonville.

The Jaguars have won three of their past five games to improve to 5-8. Jacksonville hasn't won more than five games since 2010. Atlanta has lost six consecutive games to tumble to 6-7 in 2015.